Support Materials

Workshop 6:Fostering Effective Professional Development for Teachers

Focus question: What kind of professional development for math and science teachers
will really make a difference?

Principals weigh
a variety of professional development strategies that are based on
the idea of collaboration and reflection. Teachers work together to
help each other improve their practice in teaching math and science.

Workshop 6 
Preparatory Readings

We suggest that
you read the following articles, included in the Appendix at the back
of this Guide, prior to viewing Workshop 6:

Workshop 6 
Videoclips

Barbara AlcalaStaff
Development "Peer-to-Peer professional development"

Math Department
Chair, Barbara Alcala at Whittier High School in Whittier, CA, describes
how she encouraged two math teachers to lead a staff meeting about
how to use white boardsdry-erase tablets that are large enough for
a cooperative group of four or five students to use together, but
small enough to be easily managed in the classroom. Teachers brainstorm
their ideas for how they could use white boards to enhance group work
in math. They provide each other with constructive criticism for applying
these ideas to the classroom and leave not only with a set of white
boards and markers to take back to their students, but a list of ideas
from their peers.

Nancy Love
"Interview"

Thoughts from
author and education researcher Nancy Love about several principles
she believes are important for professional development for math and
science teachers.

Eight-grade
science teacher Deborah Bambino teaches at Central East Middle School
in Philadelphia, an urban school under the current leadership of principal
Wendy Shapiro. Deborah presents a lesson about mixing cold and warm
air masses that is part of a new curriculum she is piloting. Immediately
after school she presents the activity to her Critical Friends Group,
a cross-disciplinary group of educators who meet regularly to examine
each others' practice and provide feedback. After hearing their comments,
Deborah returns to the classroom the next day and makes changes in
the lesson for a new group of students.

Al Castillo/Adam
HernandezWhittier High School "Peer observations and mentoring in changing practice"

At Whittier
High School in Whittier, CA, Principal Al Castillo and lead teachers
Kirsten Leoniak and Dina Leslie helped start a peer mentoring program.
Together, Al and three teachers from different disciplines observe
a math class taught by Adam Hernandez. Later, Adam receives feedback
from his peers, followed by a one-on-one meeting with the principal.

Workshop 6 
Bibliography

Cain, R. W.,
P. A. Kenney and C. G. Scholemer. "Teachers as Assessors: A Professional
Development Challenge." Professional Development for Teachers
of Mathematics, 1994 Yearbook, Ed. D.B. Aichele and A.
F. Cosford. Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics,
1994: 93-101.

Little, J. W.
"The Persistence of Privacy: Autonomy and Initiative in Teachers'
Professional Relations." Teachers College Record 91. 4
(1990): 509-536.

Little, J.W.
"Teachers' Professional Development in a Climate of Educational
Reform." Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis 15.
2 (1993): 129-151.

Loucks-Horsley,
S., et al. Continuing to Learn: A Guidebook for Teacher Development.
Andover, MA: The Regional Laboratory for Educational Improvement
of the Northeast and Islands and Oxford, OH: National Staff Development
Council, 1987.